ARKANSAS PESTICIDE NEWS
Volume 3

The Agricultural Experiment Station
276 Altheimer Drive,
Fayetteville, AR 72703
Telephone: (501) 575-3955 Fax: 575-3975

Cooperative Extension Service
P.O. Box 391,
Little Rock, AR 72203
Telephone: (501) 671-2000 Fax: 671-2251

University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture and USDA Cooperating

ARKANSAS PESTICIDE NEWS EDITORS

Robert Frans and Diana Horton, Department of Agronomy, Fayetteville and Ples Spradley, Coop. Extension Service, Little Rock
April 1994

News From All Over

Plant Pesticides Proposed Rule Slated for Spring Review by OMB

An Environmental Protection Agency proposed rule to regulate genetically engineered "plant pesticides" is likely to go to the White House Office of Management and Budget for approval in April. The proposal will be part of a five-part regulatory package, according to Elizabeth Milewski. OMB has 90 days to review rule-makings before returning them to the agency. EPA defines plant pesticides in the documents as both the substances produced by plants to protect themselves against pests and disease, and the genetic material necessary to produce the pesticidal substances. The substances in the plants can be from natural evolution, introduced by traditional plant breeding, or engineered through biotechnology, according to the agency. Chemical Regulation Reporter, January 14, 1994

Labor Group Asks for Impact Statement on Herbicide-Tolerant Cotton Plant

The AFL-CIO/Food & Allied Service Trades Dec. 22 asked the Department of Agriculture to conduct an environmental impact statement on a cotton plant that has been genetically engineered to tolerate the herbicide bromoxynil. Calgene Inc., the Davis, Calif.-based maker of the cotton variety, petitioned USDA in September to deregulate the plant. Under such a determination of regulatory status, the plant, known as BXN cotton, would be exempt from USDA regulations issued under the Federal Plant Pest Act. "The commercialization of BXN cotton would have a significant impact on the use of the pesticide bromoxynil, on the health of workers employed in cotton related agriculture and processing, and possibly would have a significant impact on wild cotton species via gene transfer," according to the AFL-CIO. Other human health effects from bromoxynil exposure included nausea, dizziness, headaches and central nervous sytem depression. Calgene contends that the use of BXN cotton will reduce the amount of herbicide applied to cotton. The AFL-CIO contended that the opposite situation may result as increasing amounts of the herbicide will have to be applied as weeds grow resistant to the chemical. Chemical Regulation Reporter, December 31, 1993.

Soil Pathways, Crop Type Can Affect Chemical Movement

University of Illinois researchers have shown that, as suspected, macropores can increase the risk of agrichemical contamination of groundwater under certain conditions. These underground pathways include the holes formed by worms and roots, as well as the preferred paths that water and chemicals have followed through the soil over time. Researchers have suspected that these pathways can act as miniature highways, transporting water and chemicals faster than normal and to greater depths in the soil. "We saw a lot of movement throughout the soil when chemicals were applied with simulated rainfall," says Tim Ellsworth. The researchers also found that if a chemical is applied long enough before a rain, it can move into the soil's fine pores, where it is protected. As a result, considerably less of the chemical will move through the macropores when the rains fall. Groundwater Bulletin, Illinois Groundwater Consortium, December 1993.

GAO Publishes Report on Pesticide-Related Illnesses

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) recently requested the General Accounting Office (GAO) to review oversight procedures for monitoring chemical-or pesticide-related illnesses. The report stated that, because of insufficient monitoring programs and databases, no reliable estimates were available regarding the nature and extent of pesticide-related illnesses. An unfortunate ramification of this situation is the inability to determine whether pesticide-related illnesses are of a regional or national concern. The report also stated that without a valid reporting system, problems could not be identified and solutions could not be evaluated for their effectiveness. The report contained several recommendations for improving the monitoring of pesticide-related illness. Agrichemical and Environmental News, Issue 96, Washington State University, February 1994.

Use Reduction or Risk Reduction What'll It Be?

Although the decision of whether to have use reduction or risk reduction may seem like a relatively minor distinction, EPA's decision of which concept to endorse is a critical issue. To reduce pesticide use means the emphasis is placed on using less pesticides. To reduce pesticide risk means the emphasis is placed on lowering pesticide exposure or the hazards associated with pesticide use.

Mandating reduced use of pesticides could result in increased risk. For example, a bill to cancel all Toxicity Class 1 pesticides was introduced to the Washington State Legislature this session. If enacted, the bill would have canceled all Tox 1 pesticides on labor intensive crops by January of 1996. Growers would not have access to Guthion, Gramoxone, Di-Syston, ethyl parathion, methyl parathion and other important crop protection tools. The economic impact to the apple industry alone was estimated at $200 million in the first year. The cancelled pesticides would have been replaced by less effective compounds resulting in pesticide applications on apples increasing two- to four-fold. The replacement compounds, such as Lorsban and Imidan, are less toxic, but the increased applications would have raised the level of exposure and therefore the level of risk to farmworkers.

Reduction of pesticide risk places the emphasis on either lowering exposure (i.e. better application technology, integrating multiple methods of control) or reducing the hazards associated with the application (i.e. allowing lower toxicity products on the market).

Currently, EPA is sending mixed and confusing messages to those concerned with pesticide use. The lack of a clear, coherent approach by EPA to reforming pesticide regulations is jeopardizing an opportunity to develop good public policy. EPA's inability to embrace a policy that promotes pesticide risk reduction and to get down to the business of managing pesticides may result in nothing happening. --Alan Schreiber. Agrichemical and Environmental News, Issue 96, Washington State University, February 1994.

Craven Laboratories' Owner Sentenced to Five Years in Jail

Craven Laboratories' owner Don Allen Craven was sentenced to five years in prison, fined $50,000 and more than $3.7 million in restitution for his felony convictions involving the falsification of pesticide residue tests, the Justice Department said Feb. 25. Craven Laboratories will pay a $15,499,279 fine, $3,725,055 in restitution, and was placed on probation for five years. In addition to Don Craven, 14 former employees were sentenced last week as well. These sentences included fines of $10,000, $12,500, $15,000, $20,000 and $30,000, and/or probation and community service.

The Department said that the fradulent tests cost agri-chemical companies about $15 million. Lois Schiffer, Acting Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, said, "We regard these as particularly serious crimes because EPA, regulated industries and the public need accurate information to respond effectively to risks to human health and the environment. We will move aggressively against anyone who attempts, through data falsification to deprive environmental decision-makers and the public of the trustworthy information they need."

Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, March 2, 1994.

EPA Carbofuran Proposal: Production Caps, and Rice Use Only

EPA has proposed to reject use of carbofuran on sorghum and corn and allow use on rice. Production of granular carbofuran will be limited to 250,000 pounds active ingredient for 1995 and 1996, and to 2,500 pounds active ingredient for 1997 and subsequent years. Additional risk reduction measures may also be required. Douglas D. Campt, Director, OPP, EPA, wrote to Edward Cherry, FMC Corporation Agricultural Chemicals Group proposing a maximum two-year extension on rice. On the rice use, Campt was concerned that alternatives have not materialized and that there were still no applications in the registration pipeline for products to control rice water weevil. He also added that EPA's planned FR notice will also solicit registrations for reduced-risk chemicals to control rice water weevil and offer incentives, such as expedited data review, for any company, including FMC, that comes forward with a qualified application. The notice will also solicit data on non-chemical control options. Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, March 9, 1994 (Vol. 22, No. 19).

Farmworker Relabeling Self-Certification Error Rate 20%

Farmworker relabeling self-certification by registrants has a "serious error" rate of between 15% and 20% of acceptances, and leaving off PPE requirements was the most frequent and most serious error, the EPA official said. The Office of Compliance Monitoring (OCM) has required correction of the labeling by stickering at dealers or pull-backs to correct errors at registrant locations. Agency officials and the Office of General Counsel are working on interpretive guidance for the farmworker rule to make minimum and no contact the same to cover scouts, crop consultants and, probably, irrigation workers. Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, February 16, 1994 (Vo. 22, No. 16).

Ultrasonic Dog Repellent Falls Under FIFRA, EPA ALJ Says

EPA ALJ Gerald Harwood has ruled that an attacking dog is a pest under FIFRA, and that Electronics for Industries Inc. should have complied with FIFRA labeling requirements on the firm's FIFRA-registered hand-held ultrasonic dog repellent. Electronics for Industries argued that as a domesticated animal, a dog cannot be considered a pest under FIFRA. The firm also argued that its "Dog Chaser" product does not fit the definition of a pesticide because the emission of sound cannot be viewed as a substance or mixture of substances, which is how a pesticide is defined under the act. EPA argued that FIFRA covers both pesticides and devices that are intended for repelling or mitigating any pest. Harwood decided Electronics for Industries misbranded the "Dog Chaser" product by failing to add the device's FIFRA registration number to its label. Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, March 9, 1994 (Vol. 22, No. 19).

Pesticide Management and Disposal Rules Proposed by EPA

Pesticide management and disposal regulations were proposed by EPA in the Feb. 11 Federal Register. The proposal covers nonrefillable and refillable containers, labeling required on dilutable pesticides in rigid nonrefillable containers, and containment of pesticides at retail agrichemical dealerships and pesticide applicators.

These 'dealer-level' facilities comprise the portion of the pesticide market for which EPA has accumulated the strongest evidence of recurring soil and water contamination associated with pesticide leaks.

The proposed rule would set material, construction, and design requirements for containment structures to control spills and leaks of pesticides from routine storage and handling activities, as well as from catastrophic events. Containment requirements would apply to stationary bulk containers and associated dispensing areas as well as to areas where container refilling operations occur. For new containment structures, the proposed rule would require compliance with a full set of construction and design standards. For existing structure, certain of these requirements would be allowed to be phased in over time. The proposal includes requirements for cleanup, maintenance, recordkeeping and other aspects of containment operation. Objectives of the proposal include, according to the executive summary, "To encourage the increased use of refillable containers, hence reducing the number of nonrefillable containers requiring disposal, and to codify good management practices in handling and refilling such containers. To assure that these objectives are accomplished in a safe and environmentall sound manner, the proposed rule would establish standards for container integrity (a drop test), permanent marking, and other pre- cautionary measures such as tamper-evident devices. The proposal includes procedural requirements that would address removing pesticide residues from refillable containers, refilling the containers, and inspecting the containers."

The proposal's preamble noted that per- formance-based rather than design-specific criteria were used, allowing for greater flexibility in meeting requirements and accomodating technology changes. Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, February 16, 1994 (Vol. 22, No. 16).

FMC to Revise Command Label to Address Drift Concerns

FMC Corporation will be revising labeling for CommandR 4EC Herbicide to reduce incidents of damage to crops adjacent to fields, especially cotton fields, where the pesticide has been applied.
Among the changes recommended by EPA:
an additional precaution for cotton which calls for adjacent properties to be checked prior to spraying and "pre- emergent spraying wihtin 1,500 or soil incorporated spraying within 200 feet of desirable plants" to be avoided.
prominent treatment of a statement indicating the pesticide should not be applied to "non-field areas including fence rows, waterways, ditches and roadsides."

Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, February 16, 1994 (Vol. 22, No. 16).

Pesticide News and Views Trends in Fungicide Products, Part 1 by Paul Vincelli

Products used for control of fungal-induced diseases in plants have evolved greatly since the discovery of the first fungicide, Bordeaux mixture, in 1992.
Important trends are:

1. Most newer fungicides are systemics. This trend is obvious to anyone who works with fungicides, but it is a good starting point.

2. Many newer active ingredients have a narrow spectrum of activity. An extreme example is metalaxyl. Metalaxyl is highly effective against most species of fungi in the Order Peronosporales, a collection of fungal families which happens to include the destructive fungi (Pythium, Phytophthora and downy mildew fungi). The thousands of plant pathogenic fungi which are not in the Order Peronosporales are completely insensitive to metalaxyl at normal use rates. Using selective products for disease control means that growers must be good managers and understand something about the diseases present on the farm.

3. Most newer systemics are DMI-type sterol inhibitor fungicides. This is true for cyproconazole, fenarimol, myclobutanil, propiconazole and triadimefon. These products are excellent disease-control materials in many respects, but they all have a common biochemical mode of action. Studies on dollar spot in creeping bentgrass often show that fungal strains with reduced sensitivity to one DMI fungicide show reduced sensitivity to most or all DMI fungicides. DMI fungicides must be used in ways that minimize the risk of developing fungicide insensitivity.

4. Total amounts of active ingredient needed for disease control have reduced greatly. Newer systemic fungicides typically are more active against target fungi, and can provide disease control with lower use rates and longer spray intervals. If less active ingredient is needed, we often expect that less is introduced into the environment, worker exposure is reduced, and less ends up on the havested commodity. Kentucky Pest News No. 662.

Pesticide Use Trends in U.S. Agriculture, 1979-1992

EPA data indicate that from 1964 to 1981 the volume of pesticide active ingredients used by farmers increased from 320 million poinds used per year to over 800 million pounds per year. Since 1981, the overall volume of pesticide use by the agricultural sector has remained relatively constant at 800+ million lbs/yr. EPA data for the time period 1979-1991 indicate that the volume of herbicide use in agriculture has remained fairly constant while a decline occurred for insecticides and an increase occurred in the volume of fungicide use.

Taking a closer look at disaggregated use trends is necessary in order to sort out the real implications of policy decisions and the following influences:

* Development of Integrated Pest Management programs which rely on economic thresholds and scouting to guide spray decisions.

* registrations of new pesticide products which are used at lower per acre rates than older products

* deregistartion of older products, either through voluntary cancellations by registrants or bans by EPA

* reduced rates of application for currently registered active ingredients

* targeting of increased pesticide sales to crops and states which had lower usage in the late 1970s

* development of resistance to pesticides in the pest population which can result in greater applications or applications of different compounds for control

In order to try and determine the influence of these factors it is useful to examine pesticide use data for disaggregated portions of U.S. agriculture over time. Comparisons are made between 1979 and 1992 use amounts for a set of crops and states for which pesticide use surveys exist for both years. The report is 33 pages. Contact the National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy, 1616 PST NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 for a copy of NCFAP Discussion Paper PS-93-1, October 1993.

Reregistration Notification Network Notes (Volume 4, Number 2)

DuPont plans to delete the use of OATS and BERMUDA GRASS from their labels of the herbicide, Karmex DF (diuron), due to the cost of reregistration. They have not yet submitted requests to the USEPA for voluntary deletion of these uses from their labels and will consider retaining them if another party is willing to develop the required residue data.

Listed below are the supported uses of malathion and those uses not supported that are expected to be cancelled following or during reregistration. These lists are subject to change as we near the final date for data submittals in late 1995. Unless otherwise indicated, the uses listed here are for commercial field use.

Supported Uses:
Alfalfa, apples, apricots, asparagus, avocado, barley, barley (stored), beans (dry & succulent), beans (greenhouse), beets (table or garden), blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, buckwheat, cabbage, caneberries (other than listed), carrots, cauliflower, celery, chayote, cherries (sweet and tart), chestnuts, christmas trees, citrus (postharvest), clover, collards, corn (field & pop & sweet), corn (greenhouse), corn (stored), cottonseed, crown vetch, cucumbers, cucumbers (greenhouse), currants, dandelion, dates, dewberry, eggplant, eggplant (greenhouse), endives, endives (greenhouse), figs, filberts, flax, garlic, gooseberries, grapefruit, grapes, grasses, guavas, hops, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, kudzu,kumquats, leafy vegetables group (other than listed), leeks, lemons, lentils, lespedeza, lettuce (greenhouse), lettuce (head), lettuce (leaf), limes, loganberries, Lupinus spp., macadamia, mangos, melon, milk vetch, millet (pearl), millet (proso), mushrooms, mustard greens, mustard (Chinese, Japanese, & oriental), nectarines, oats, oats (stored), okra, onions (bulb & green), onions (greenhouse), oranges, ornamentals (flowers, tubular & woody plants), ornamentals (greenhouse), papayas, parsley, parsnips, passionfruit, pastureland, peaches, pears, peas, pecans, peppermint, peppers, peppers (greenhouse), persimmons, pineapples, pines (seed orchards), pines (slash)(ornamental uses), potatoes (white), pumpkins, quince, radishes, raisins, rangeland, raspberries, rice, rice (wild), rutabagas, rye, rye (stored) sainfoin, salsify, shallots, sorghum (grains), spearmint, spinach, squash, strawberries, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, tangerines, teosinte, tomatoes, tomatoes (greenhouse), trefoil, triticale, turf, turnips, uncultivated areas, vetch, walnuts, watercress, watermelons, wheat, wheat (stored).

The following uses of malathion are currently unsupported and expected to be canceled due to the cost of reregistration. Uses may be removed from labels at any time, but the following uses may not be on labels of malathion products sold by the registrants to retailers starting in January of 1996.

Uses Unsupported and Expected to be Cancelled:
almonds, almonds (stored), barns (livestock), beets (greenhouse), broccoli (greenhouse), cabbage (greenhouse), cattle (beef), cattle (dairy), celery (greenhouse), cereal (packaged), chickens, cole crops (greenhouse), cranberries, ducks, feed (for cattle in concentrate blocks), feed lots, feed rooms, feed stuff, forest trees, geese, goats, hogs, horses (including ponies), kale (greenhouse), manure piles, mustard greens (greenhouse), peanuts, peanuts (stored), peas (greenhouse), pens, pigeons, plums (fresh prunes), potatoes (greenhouse), poultry houses, processing plants (for flour, milk, cereal and other food), rabbits (on wire), radishes (greenhouse, raisins (stored), rice (stored), safflowers, seeds (field and garden), sheep, sorghum (stored), soybeans, spinach (greenhouse), squash (greenhouse), stables, sugar beets (roots and tops), sunflowers (stored), tobacco, turkeys, turnips (greenhouse), watercress (greenhouse)

For the unsupported greenhouse uses listed above, the pesticide tolerances are being defended. However, other studies or a commitment to register may be necessary in order to maintain these uses.

Most of the supported uses will be labeled on products containing the 57% emulsible concentrate (EC) formulation. Dust (D) formulations are being canceled except for date and stored grain uses. Ultra low volume (ULV) formulations are being limited to alfalfa, clover, grain sorghum, rice, wheat, blueberries, cherries, beans, and grasses. Wettable powders (WP) are being limited to uses on apples, pears, quince, blackberries, raspberries, other caneberries, and strawberries. And, ready-to-use (RTU) formulations are being limited to cottonseed uses. Existing stocks in the hands of retailers and users may be used as labeled until such stocks are exhausted.

Reregistration Notification Network Notes (Volume 4, Number 4)

The USEPA has published an updated list of commodities that have pesticide residue tolerances potentially affected by the Delaney Clause in Section 409 of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). This action has been taken because the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the Delaney Clause bars tolerances for carcinogenic pesticides in processed food without regard to the degree of risk. This is the updated list of those commodities that have residue tolerances for the indicated pesticide and whose tolerances will likely be revoked by the USEPA because of this new interpretation of the Delaney Clause; the registered uses causing these residues will be cancelled if the relevant tolerances are revoked. This list was first published in February of 1993. This updated list includes three new pesticides and over 20 new combinations of pesticides and commodities.

acephate (Orthene) -- cotton (hulls & meal of seed), soybeans (hulls, meal), food handling establishments
alachlor (Lasso) -- peanuts (meal), soybeans (hulls, meal), sunflower seed (meal)
asulam (Asulox) -- sugarcane (bagasse, molasses)
atrazine (AAtrex) -- sugarcane (bagasse, molasses)
benomyl (Benlate) -- apples (pomace), citrus (pulp), grapes (pomace, raisins, raisin waste), rice (bran, hulls), soybeans (hulls), tomatoes (puree or catsup)
captan (Orthocide) -- apples (dry pomace), grapes (raisins, raisin waste, juice, dry pomace), plums (prunes), tomatoes (dry pomace)
chlorothalonil (Bravo) -- potatoes (wet peel), soybeans (hulls)
dichlorvos (DDVP) -- food handling establishments, packaged nonperishable food
dicofol (Kelthane) -- apples (dry pomace), citrus (oil), dried tea, grapes (dry pomace, raisins, raisin waste), plums (prunes)
diflubenzuron (Dimilin) -- soybeans (hulls, soapstock)
dimethipin (Harvard) -- cotton (seed hulls)
dimethoate (Cygon) -- apples (juice), citrus (oil, pulp)
ethylene oxide (ETO) -- whole ground spices
hexazinone (Velpar) -- alfalfa 9meal), pineapple (bran, molasses), sugarcane (bagasse, molasses)
lindane -- tomatoes (dry pomace)
linuron (Lorox) -- potatoes (dry & wet peel, chips, dried granules), soybeans (meal)
mancozeb (Dithane M-45, Manzate 200) -- apples (dry pomace), barley (bran, flour, milled fractions), grapes (raisins, raisin waste), oats (bran, flour, milled fractions), rye (bran, flour, milled fractions), sugar beets (pulp), wheat (bran, flour, middlings, milled fractions).
maneb (Manzate, Dithan M-22) -- apples (dry pomace), grapes (raisins waste), sugar beets (pulp)
methidathion (Supracide) -- citrus (oil)
methomyl (Lannate) -- wheat (bran)
metiram (Polyram) -- apples (dry pomace), sugar beets (dry pomace)
metolachlor (Dual) -- peanuts (meal)
norflurazon (Evital) -- citrus (oil, pulp, molasses), grapes (raisin waste)
oxyfluorfen (Goal) -- apples (dry pomace), cotton (cottonseed oil), peppermint (oil), spearmint (oil), soybean (oil)
PCNB (Terraclor) -- potatoes (wet & dry peel), tomatoes (dry pomace)
permethrin (Ambush) -- tomatoes (dry pomace)
phosmet (Imidan) -- citrus (oil), cotton (cottonseed oil)
propargite (Omite) -- apples (pomace), citrus (oil, pulp), figs (dried), grapes (raisins, raisin waste, dried pomace), plums (prunes), tea (dried tea)
propylene oxide -- cocoa, glace fruit, edible gums, processed nutmeat (except peanuts), prunes, processed spices, starch
simazine (Princep) -- sugarcane (bagasse, molasses, syrup), potable water
tetrachlorvinphos (Rabon) -- feed items
thiophanate-methyl (Topsin M) -- apples (pomace)
triadimefon (Bayleton) -- apples (pomace), barley (milled fractions), grapes (pomace, raisin waste), pineapple (bran), wheat (milled fractions)
trifluralin (Treflan) -- peppermint (oil), potatoes (processed waste), spearmint (oil)

For additional information, contact: Ms. Deborah J. Hartman or Mr. Bill Jordan Policy and Special Projects Staff EPA, Office of Pesticide Programs Phone (703) 305-7102 FAX (703) 305-6244 Initial source: Federal Register 59(61):14980

Agricultural Chemical News March 15, 1994

SELECT (clethodim) -- Valent -- Added to their label the tank mix with Pursuit on soybeans and the control of sprangletop, annual bluegrass and wirestem mulhy. Also used to suppress red rice in soybeans in MS and AR.

CALGENE -- The company has received approval of its genetically altered cottonseed. The new cotton called BXN cotton is resistant to the herbicide bromoxynil and it will be available by 1995.